Worldwide Sports News

In last offseason's analysis of the Mets' payroll situation, we pointed out how the team -- fresh off a run to the NLCS and with tons of money coming off the books -- was uniquely positioned to be aggressive, including the potential to make a serious run at Juan Soto.

The Mets were indeed aggressive and they landed Soto, changing the complexion of the payroll for the next 15 seasons.

This time around, the club was regrouping after one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history, as they went from the best team in baseball in June to one that missed the postseason entirely.

Colored by David Stearns' stated refusal to "run it back," the 2025-26 offseason featured seismic change.

With the dust having settled, gone are fan favorites and key lineup cogs Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Jeff McNeil.

Also gone is closer Edwin Diaz, who wanted to return but wound up with the Dodgers in Los Angeles, with Devin Williams set to take Diaz's closer role.

The way the offseason unfolded, with most of the Mets' key departures happening early and many of their big imports arriving late, there was a sense of uncertainty in the air for quite some time.

But with three enormous moves in late January -- Bo Bichette, Luis Robert Jr., and Freddy Peralta -- Stearns executed his plan to near perfection. 

With a large chunk of the pitching staff already at spring training in Port St. Lucie ahead of next week's reporting date and Opening Day next month at Citi Field, here's how the payroll situation looks for 2026 and beyond...

SALARY COMMITTED FOR 2026

The Mets entered the offseason with roughly $223 million committed for 2026, per Cot's Contracts -- a number that included the $18 million estimated for player benefits, as well as money owed to arbitration-eligible players, zero-to-three players in both the majors and minors who are under team control, and the bonus pool for pre-arbitration players.

As things currently stand, the Mets' projected 40-man payroll for CBT purposes is $376.6 million. That includes $17 million still owed this season to Frankie Montas, who has been released.

For reference, New York ended last season with a 40-man payroll of $346.6 million.

Typically, the payroll expands during the season as teams add players via trade and the waiver wire. 

Now off the books are the contracts of Alonso and Diaz (who both opted out before signing elsewhere). Also mostly cleared is the contract of Nimmo, who has five years and 97.25 million left on his contract (New York is paying $6 million of Nimmo's salary for 2026). The Mets will be covering $5.75 million of McNeil's remaining salary, and will pay his $2 million buyout for 2027 if the Athletics don't exercise his team option. 

Other big obligations also off the books: Starling Marte (who made $20.75 million in 2025), Jesse Winker ($7.5 million), Ryne Stanek ($4.5 million), Griffin Canning ($4.25 million), and last season's four major trade deadline acquisitions -- Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers, Cedric Mullins, and Gregory Soto.

It's possible the Mets bring Marte back on a much smaller contract than the one that just expired.

Here are the major offseason additions and their cost against the CBP payroll for 2026:

Bo Bichette: $42 million
Marcus Semien: $24 million
Luis Robert Jr.: $22 million
Jorge Polanco: $20 million
Devin Williams: $15 million
Luke Weaver: $11 million
Freddy Peralta: $8 million

WHAT ABOUT EXTENSIONS FOR UNDER-CONTROL PLAYERS?

The name that jumps out here is Peralta, who is set for free agency after the season.

In order to acquire Peralta, the Mets dealt Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat to the Brewers -- a steep but fair price.

Speaking shortly after the trade, Peralta weighed in on the possibility of signing an extension.

"I just got here. I think that I got to share time with my teammates, think about different ideas," Peralta explained. "Learn about everybody -- coaches, the organization in general. And then we can see."

The above scenario -- feeling things out a bit before potentially discussing an extension -- is something that worked out with the Mets and Francisco Lindor in the not-too-distant past.

The Mets acquired Lindor from Cleveland on Jan. 7, 2021 and ultimately signed him to a 10-year, $341 million extension on the eve of Opening Day ahead of what was Steve Cohen's first season of ownership.

There is another player who stands out when it comes to a potential extension.

It's Francisco Alvarez.

An extension for Alvarez is probably something it would make more sense to explore during the season, though, if he begins the year in similar fashion to the way he ended 2025 -- when he slashed .276/.360/.561 with eight homers, nine doubles, and one triple in 41 games from July 21 through the end of the season. He also needs to continue to hone his defense.

Alvarez, who excelled after returning from the minors last season, also showed his toughness while playing through injuries to both of his hands down the stretch.

THE PAYROLL SITUATION IN 2027 AND BEYOND

Here are the Mets' projected 40-man roster salary obligations from 2027 to 2030, via Cot's:

2027: $266.94 million
2028: $186.77 million
2029: $106.26 million
2030: $106.26 million

As things currently stand, there will be a large drop in salary commitments after the 2027 season, and another big drop after the 2028 season.

It's important to note that the salary figures for 2027 and 2028 include the contract of Bichette at $42 million annually. Bichette has opt-outs after 2026 and 2027.

Not included for 2027 is potential money owed to Robert, with the Mets holding a team option for the 2027 season worth $20 million. 

While the Mets have an enormous payroll for 2026 and are well above the highest luxury tax threshold of $304 million, they're starting to merge their high-priced veteran core with inexpensive starting rotation options (Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, and Christian Scott) and an emerging group of young position player prospects.

Those players include outfielder Carson Benge, who could be the Opening Day left fielder. That group also features  outfielder A.J. Ewing, and infielders Jacob Reimer and Ryan Clifford. 

The Mets could also get a jolt in the bullpen this season from prospects including Dylan Ross and Ryan Lambert.

The stated vision of Stearns and Cohen is to build a sustainable winner that relies heavily on player development while having the wherewithal to bolster the team via free agency and the trade market -- outbidding other interested teams along the way.

That's something the Mets put into action this offseason, especially while using their deep farm system to land Peralta and their financial might to swipe Bichette from the Phillies' grasp. 

The Mets, despite the step back on the field in 2025, continue to get closer to their ultimate vision, with them now having one of the best farm systems in baseball (despite trading Williams and Sproat) and a strong big league nucleus that has been remade. 

A standout on the baseball diamond as well as the gridiron, Nolan McLean was a two-sport star while attending the eponymously named Garner High School in Garner, North Carolina. As a football player, he lettered three years and threw for 6809 yards for 62 touchdowns. He was a three year letterman in baseball as well, dominating on both sides of the ball. As a batter, he hit a cumulative .381/.589/.719 in 53 games with 11 doubles, 0 triples, 12 home runs, 7 stolen bases in 8 attempts, and drew 64 walks to 28 strikeouts. As a pitcher, he posted a cumulative 2.05 ERA in 54.2 innings over 26 games with 38 hits allowed, 25 walks, and 88 strikeouts. His senior season was mostly a wash because of the COVID-19 pandemic cancelling the baseball season, leading to him honor his commitment to Oklahoma State University. There was a chance that, had the season not been cancelled prematurely, McLean be drafted by a professional team in a high enough round to have made it worthwhile for him, but because of the uncertainty of the pandemic and the extremely abbreviated 2020 MLB Draft, he elected to signal to teams that he would be attending college and went undrafted.

Unlike many prep players who go to college, McLean did not abandon football to focus only on baseball. In the fall of 2020, he made the Oklahoma State football team as a walk-on as the third-string quarterback. He did not appear in any official games for the 8-3 Cowboys, who went on to win the 2020 Cheez-It Bowl, beating the Miami Hurricanes 37-34. When the football season ended, his focus returned back to baseball. He appeared in 39 games for Oklahoma State, missing some time from a back injury, and hit .263/.410/.526 with 10 doubles, 1 triple, 8 home runs, 1 stolen base in 2 attempts, and drew 27 walks to 50 strikeouts, playing all over the infield and outfield. Additionally, he appeared in a pair of games on the mound, giving up 4 earned runs in 2.0 innings with 2 hits allowed, 4 walks, and 3 strikeouts. That summer, he played for the Chatham Anglers in the Cape Cod Collegiate Baseball League and hit .261/.469/.522 in 8 games with 2 home runs, 0 stolen bases, and 9 walks to 12 strikeouts.

When the summer ended and fall began, McLean decided to hang up his football pads permanently. Rather than play football and possibly reaggravate his back, he decided to focus on baseball. As a draft-eligible sophomore due to his age, focusing on baseball would give him the best opportunity to go pro. His new focus on baseball paid off in 2022, as he excelled as a hitter and also got to show off his ability to pitch. Splitting time between second and third base, spending most of it third, McLean hit .285/.397/.595 with 16 doubles, 1 triple, 19 home runs, 2 stolen bases in 4 attempts, and drew 37 walks to 107 strikeouts. On the mound, he appeared in 23 games and posted a 4.97 ERA in 25.1 innings with 20 hits allowed, 13 walks, and 39 strikeouts. The Baltimore Orioles liked what they saw and selected him with their third-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, the 81st overall pick, designating him a pitcher. The two sides were unable to come to an agreement after Baltimore seeing some post-draft physical MRI results they were concerned about and McLean ended up being the highest selected played in the 2022 MLB Draft to go unsigned, and one of two third round selections to not sign with a team, along with New York Mets third round pick Brandon Sproat.

After an unexpectedly free summer, McLean returned to Oklahoma State University for his junior year, his primary defensive position now moved from the infield to the outfield. He appeared in 43 games, missing time in April after crashing into the outfield wall attempting to make a play and injuring his MCL, and hit .250/.379/.532 with 6 doubles, 1 triple, 9 home runs, 4 stolen bases in 6 attempts, and 27 walks to 57 strikeouts. On the mound, he appeared in 14 games, making 3 starts late in the season, and posted a 3.30 ERA in 30.0 innings, with 30 hits allowed, 17 walks, and 34 strikeouts. The Mets selected him in the 2023 MLB Draft with their third round selection, the 91st pick overall, and the two sides agreed to a $747,600 signing bonus, exactly the MLB-assigned slot value. As opposed to the Orioles, who designated McLean a pitcher when they drafted him, the Mets designated him a two-way player and used him as such. He split the rest of the summer with the FCL Mets and the St. Lucie Mets, appearing in 8 total games as a hitter and two as a pitcher. At the plate, he hit a cumulative .125/.375/.313 with 1 home run, 1 stolen base, and 7 walks to 11 strikeouts. On the mound, he threw 1.1 innings total, allowing one earned run on 1 hit and 2 walks, with 2 strikeouts.

That winter, Amazin’ Avenue ranked McLean the Mets’ 25 prospect on the 2024 Amazin’ Avenue Top 25 Prospects list. Assigned to the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones, the organization continued using him as a two-way pitcher, and McLean quickly began racking up strikeouts. He remained in Coney Island until the end of May and posted a 2.57 ERA in 28.0 innings over 7 starts with 20 hits allowed, 10 walks, and 36 strikeouts while hitting .224/.297/.552 in 63 at-bats, drawing 6 walks and striking out 38 times. Highlighting why the Mets were developing the right-hander as a two-way hitter, an astounding 12 of McLean’s 15 hits went for extra bases, resulting in a Barry Bonds-ian .328 ISO.

At the end of May, McLean was promoted to Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies and was sluggish to get out of the gate early on. After roughly a month of play, the decision was made to end the two-way player experiment and for McLean to focus only on pitching. The right-hander settled down after a rough month to begin his Double-A career and ended up having a solid season on the mound. In 81.2 innings over 18 starts, he posted a 4.19 ERA, allowing 76 hits, walking 32, and striking out 80.

Based on his upside as a pitcher, made clearer thanks to impressive pitch metric data and in-person looks from scouts and evaluators, McLean gained a lot of helium that off-season and was ranked 5 on the Amazin’ Avenue Top 25 Mets Prospects List for the 2025 season. The right-hander began his season with the Rumble Ponies but was promoted after a month that saw him post a 1.37 ERA in 26.1 innings over 5 starts with 20 hits allowed, 12 walks, and 30 strikeouts. He was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse in mid-May and barely missed a beat against the tougher competition in a more hitting-friendly league. The right-hander appeared in 16 games for the Syracuse Mets, starting 13 of them, and posted a 2.78 ERA in 87.1 innings, giving up 58 hits, walking 38, and striking out 97. Altogether, between Binghamton and Syracuse combined, McLean posted a 2.45 ERA in 113.2 innings, allowing 78 hits, walking 50, and striking out 127.

In mid-August, with the Mets’ playoff chances beginning to fade as a compromised starting rotation and beleaguered bullpen became highly problematic, the decision was made to call McLean up to the Mets, leapfrogging fellow top prospects Brandon Sproat and Jonah Tong. His name had been bandied about for a few weeks as a potential bullpen aid, but with the organization fortifying the bullpen at the trade deadline, the organization elected to call the 23-year-old up to strengthen the starting rotation instead. Frankie Montas was shifted to the bullpen and McLean took his place, giving him the opportunity to show what he could do over a handful of starts, not just one singular spot start.

McLean’s audition went better than anybody could have predicted. In his first start on August 16th, he threw 5.1 shutout innings against the Seattle Mariners, allowing 2 hits, walking 4, and striking out 8. In his next start on August 22nd, against the Atlanta Braves, he allowed two runs over 7.0 innings, giving up 4 hits, walking none, and striking out 7. In his next start, against the Philadelphia Phillies on August 27th, McLean threw 8 shutout innings, allowing four hits, walking none, and striking out 6. The right-hander was just as good as the calendar flipped to September and ended up making 5 starts, posting a 2.93 ERA in 27.2 innings with 24 hits allowed, 12 walks, and 36 strikeouts. All in all, McLean stayed just under the rookie limits, throwing 48.0 innings at the big league level, and posted a 2.06 ERA in his 8 starts, allowing 34 hits, walking 16, and striking out 57.

The 6’2”, 215-pound McLean has a sturdy, durable pitching frame. He throws from a low-three-quarters arm slot, his release point magnified even further with his extension off the mound from his drop-and-drive delivery. The ball explodes out of his hand, heightened by its lower approach angle. McLean also stands on the far third base side of the rubber, making the ball more difficult to pick up mid-flight because, thanks to his arm slot, it is much further to the side than most other pitchers.

The right-hander throws three fastballs, a four-seamer, a sinker, and a cutter, a sweeping slider, a curveball, and a changeup.

While in Triple-A, he threw his sweeping slider 28% of the time, his sinker 23% of the time, his four-seam fastball 21% of the time, his cutter 11% of the time, his curveball 9% of the time, and his change-up 8% of the time. In his MLB cup-of-coffee, he threw his sinker 28% of the time, his sweeping slider 26% of the time, his curveball 16% of the time, his four-seam fastball 13% of the time, and his change-up and cutter both 9% of the time. Against major leaguers, the ratios of those pitches more or less stayed the same against left-handers and right-handers, throwing fewer sinkers and sliders against lefties and more changeups, cutters, and curves.

McLean’s four-seam fastball sits in the mid-90s, ranging 92-98 MPH, averaging 95 MPH. Thanks to his arm slot, the pitch has a fairly flat approach angle, but with an average spin rate that measured 2,270 RPM in Syracuse and 2,310 in Queens, the pitch does not have much life to it. While the right-hander has had no real issues getting swings-and-misses with the pitch, posting a 22.4% Whiff% with it in Triple-A and a 37.1% Whiff% in the majors, the pitch is better suited as a set-up pitch rather than a go-to strikeout pitch.

McLean’s sinker is in a similar boat. Sitting in the same velocity band, averaging 94.5 MPH, the pitch also has below-average spin rates for a sinker and is not a big strikeout pitch for the right-hander. Triple-A batters hit .165/.250/.253 against it and MLB hitters hit .193/.281/.316 against it, but they swung-and-missed at a 22.0% and 18.7% rate, respectively. The pitch is effective at getting outs, inducing a great deal of groundballs, but not necessarily swings-and-misses.

When the right-hander needs strikeouts, he turns to his breaking balls: the right-hander throws a plus sweeper and a plus curveball, both of which have elite pitch characteristics.

McLean’s sweeping slider averaged 85 MPH last season, sitting anywhere between 81 to 89 MPH. The pitch features 2,435-3,230 RPM of spin, giving it 37.8 inches of vertical movement and 16.8 inches of horizontal movement. The right-hander commands the pitch well despite the amount of movement it has and is one of the most adroit pitchers in baseball today in regards to pounding the strike zone with a sweeping slider. Coupled with McLean’s arm slot and the side angle that the pitch is coming in from in relation to the plate, the pitch is a true plus breaker that is one of the best in Major League Baseball today. Ironically, in his 48 innings at the major league level, big league batters had no problem with the pitch, hitting it to the tune of a .361/.425/.528 batting average against with a 20.3% Whiff%; in a larger sample of his work in Syracuse, batters hit .185/.250/.326 with a 30.2% Whiff%.

Sitting in the high-70s and featuring spin rates ranging from 2,915 to 3,510 RPM, McLean’s curveball featured an average of 57.6 inches of vertical drop and 18.7 inches of horizontal movement, making it a plus pitch as well. In Triple-A, batters hit a paltry .121/.194/.212 against it with a 48.4% Whiff% and in the majors, batters hit .074/.107/.074 against it with an even 50% Whiff%. Unlike his sweeping slider, McLean’s command of the pitch is fleeting. The pitch was still extremely effective, as hitters chased it out of the zone with regularity, but the right-hander only managed a 17.9% Zone% with it.

To mitigate whatever advantages left-handers might have, McLean also throws a cutter and change-up. His cutter sits in the high-80s-to-low-90s and features slight glove-side hop. It is McLean’s weakest pitch overall, hit the hardest and for the highest batting average against, but it also sets up his sweeper and/or change-up.

His changeup was only recently developed, a “kick” changeup en vogue among Mets pitching developmental staff of late.  Prior to the 2025 season, McLean had always been experimenting with a changeup, using different grips and figuring out what worked best for him, but the changeups he threw generally were little more than change of pace offerings, as opposed to consistent swing-and-miss pitches. His new kick grip has improved his command the mid-to-high-80s offering and has also given it more bite the pitch has, increasing its vertical drop and giving the pitch an elite 38.8 inches of tumble to go along with its above-average 13.4 inches of arm-side movement.

Far from an issue, McLean’s control and command wavered earlier in his career. At this point, while his walk rate is still a bit inflated and his command of certain pitches in his arsenal are better than others, it is only a conceptual weakness.

With spring training on the somewhat immediate horizon, there’s been a bit of anticipation surrounding the annual list of non-roster invitees to camp. The Atlanta Braves have now revealed that list and as expected, there’s a decent mix of top prospects looking to make a splash and veteran longshots looking to latch onto a roster for Opening Day.

The Braves officially revealed the list via press release, which I’ll share part of with y’all right here:

Five invitees ended the 2025 campaign ranked among Atlanta’s top 30 prospects per MLB.com, including top 10 pitchers RHPs JR Ritchie (No. 2), Garrett Baumann (No. 6) and Owen Murphy (No. 8). Shortstops Alex Lodise (No. 4) and John Gil (No. 13) also received their first invites to major league spring training and are the highest-rated positional prospects in camp. In total, nine of Atlanta’s top 30 prospects following last season will be in camp this year, including 40-man players RHPs Didier Fuentes (No. 7), Rolddy Muñoz (No. 17) and Jhancarlos Lara (No. 21), as well as LHP Hayden Harris (No. 25). 

Seventeen of the 24 invitees have previous major league experience, including five – RHP Carlos Carrasco, Cs Sandy León and Chadwick Tromp, INF Luke Williams and OF José Azócar – who appeared with Atlanta last season. LHP Martín Pérez enters camp as a former American League All-Star and World Series champion, earning All-Star honors while with Texas in 2022 and hoisting the trophy with the Rangers the following season. Infielder Aaron Schunk is an Atlanta native and attended the Lovett School and the University of Georgia prior to his professional career.  

It’s pretty exciting to see a Who’s Who of top Braves prospects on the non-roster invitee list. JR Ritchie is a consensus Top 100 prospect, Didier Fuentes was knocking on the door of consensus Top 100 status and Braves fans got very familiar with Hayden Harris last season as well. It’ll be very interesting to see which prospects use the opportunity as a chance to simply learn and get better or if there’s anybody who’s capable of taking a leap and potentially cracking the Opening Day roster. It’ll be a longshot but it’ll also be intriguing to see how these guys fare during spring training.

On the veteran side of things, we’ve got some familiar faces like Sandy León, Chadwick Tromp and Luke Williams — the two catchers are in a very intriguing situation considering what’s going on with Sean Murphy and his injury status for the early portion of this upcoming season. Luke Williams (and Aaron Schunk as well) could also potentially have aspirations of breaking camp with the big league squad since Ha-Seong Kim’s icy mishap has left a spot open there for potential depth. Martin Pérez was recently signed not too long ago, so it’ll be interesting to see what he’s got. Also, Carlos Carrasco is still going for it — even if he had a very rough 2025 at the big league level, it’s still nice to see him keep going considering the circumstances that he’s had to deal with over the course of his career.

The full list shared by the Braves via press release is below. Which NRIs are y’all most excited to see and/or hear about during this season’s spring training?

Non-Roster Invitees (24)

• Pitchers (10): RH Garrett Baumann, RH Carlos Carrasco, RH Javy Guerra, RH Elieser Hernández, RH James Karinchak, RH Owen Murphy, LH Martín Pérez, RH Austin Pope, RH JR Ritchie, RH Tayler Scott
• Catchers (3): Jair Camargo, Sandy León, Chadwick Tromp
• Infielders (7): Tristin English, John Gil, Jim Jarvis, Alex Lodise, Aaron Schunk, Luke Waddell, Luke Williams 
• Outfielders (4): José Azócar, Ben Gamel, Brewer Hicklen, DaShawn Keirsey Jr. 

Spring Training will be a massive opportunity for so many players on this roster. With a new regime coming in, everyone will be evaluated and spots will be up for grabs. There are going to be camp competitions all over this roster. I wanted to break down some of the competitions to watch.

We did a deep dive on the catcher battle yesterday, so we will avoid that. However, there are so many more competitions to discuss. There are open spots up and down this roster. From the bullpen, to first base, to bench spots, roster spots are up for grabs.

First Base Job Up For Grabs:

The most wide open competition of the spring could be for the first base job. Unless the Nats sign Rhys Hoskins or Paul Goldschmidt, there will be a true competition. There are four or five contenders that all could realistically win the job. In the end, I think there will be a platoon, but there are a number of candidates.

There are five players who I think are in the mix here. Abimelec Ortiz, Matt Mervis, Warming Bernabel, Andres Chaparro and Yohandy Morales will all get chances. Mervis and Bernabel signed minor league deals with Spring Training invites, but have MLB experience. Chaparro also has MLB experience and has mashed in AAA. However, none of these guys have been great in the MLB.

My favorite of the group is Abimelec Ortiz. The Nats acquired him from the Rangers in the MacKenzie Gore deal. While he has not made his MLB debut yet, he was fantastic in AAA last year. Ortiz has big time power, but also has the angles to consistently pull the ball in the air for home runs.

Abimelec Ortiz | 1B/OF | 23 yo

Ortiz, the only prospect with a chance to debut in 2026, likely will, and may very well play lots of 1B in DC this year.

556 PA in AA, AAA (2025):
.257/.356/.479 | 25 HR | 89 RBI
4/6 SB | 53 XBH | 22-K% | 12-BB%

53 XBHs.pic.twitter.com/MJrhBU8G70

— Nats Of The Future (@NatsOfTheFuture) January 23, 2026

Morales may have even more raw power than Ortiz, but his angles are not as good. He hits the ball on the ground much more than you would like from a power hitter. Morales also struck at a 30% clip in AAA last year. While he has the most upside of the group, he is still raw. However, with a big spring, Morales has a chance to win the job.

This is a true competition though. There are not any clear favorites right now. Unless the Nats sign a 1B in free agency, this will be a fight that won’t be decided until the very end of Spring Training. May the best man win.

A Look at the Outfield Situation

The outfield is the strength of this Nationals team. They have stars like James Wood, but also plenty of depth. As of right now, Wood, Daylen Lile, Dylan Crews and Jacob Young seem like locks to make the team. However, I think the Nats are going to carry a fifth outfielder.

If they decide to do that, there will be plenty of candidates. Christian Franklin, Robert Hassell, Joey Wiemer and Andrew Pinckney are all in play for that role. A lot of times teams only carry four outfielders, but the Nats have so many guys in the outfield. They will also be rotating a lot of these players in the DH position.

Robert Hassell III is the most high profile of these names. He was one of the prizes of the Juan Soto trade in 2022, but has not developed as expected. Hassell finally showed some promise in AAA last year, but really struggled in the MLB.

In an event the other day, Blake Butera said that Hassell added 25 pounds of bulk this offseason. While he clearly had room to fill out, 25 pounds feels like a lot to me. Nats fans are going to be skeptical about this after the Jacob Young situation last year. Adding that much mass as an athletic outfielder has negatives.

Blake Butera said @robert_hassell3 put on 25 pounds of bulk. pic.twitter.com/rHL8jX5E6O

— Talk Nats (@TalkNats) January 31, 2026

However, Hassell clearly thought he needed to add more power. Based on his MLB production, he clearly needed to change something. While he is the highest profile name, I do not think he is the favorite.

My favorite player of the group is Christian Franklin. The Nats acquired him at the deadline in part of the Michael Soroka trade. He had a nice year in AAA last year and should be MLB ready at 26. Franklin is a well-rounded player who can do a bit of everything. I really like the idea of him as a platoon bat who specializes against left handed pitching.

Joey Wiemer is also a name to watch. Paul Toboni picked him up off of waivers this offseason. He is a tremendous athlete with big power, but is not a great hitter. He will get a shot to make the roster. Andrew Pinckney has a similar profile to Wiemer. He is a non-roster invite, so he will be on the outside looking in. Franklin is my favorite, but this is an open competition.

What is up With the Bullpen

The Nationals bullpen is painfully short on proven commodities. Despite the ‘pen being a clear need, Toboni has not signed any veterans to reinforce the group. Instead, he is relying on waiver claims and internal development.

Last year, Mike Rizzo tried the veteran route, and it failed miserably. So, I suppose Toboni’s lower profile strategy deserves a shot. The Nats have a few young, interesting relief arms like Cole Henry, Clayton Beeter, PJ Poulin and Griff McGarry, who should make the team.

However, there are so many spots up for grabs. Jackson Rutledge, Orlando Ribalta and Julian Fernandez have big league experience, but they have not been great. Can Toboni unlock anything in those three? I think Rutledge has a good slider he should throw more and Ribalta looks very good when he is on. They have been very inconsistent though. 

Then there are the waiver claims. Just this offseason, Toboni has claimed Paxton Schultz, Gus Varland, Richard Lovelady and George Soriano. Some of these guys are bound to contribute in some way. They could also be DFA’d at any moment based on how Toboni uses the wire.

My favorite of the waiver wire pick ups is Paxton Schultz. He showed some really nice things as a swing man for the Blue Jays last year. His MLB debut was memorable, striking out 8 in 4.1 innings. He has a good chance of being a solid, versatile piece for the Nats.

What a debut 👏

8 strikeouts by Paxton Schultz TIES the @MLB record for the MOST in a debut by a reliever! #lightsupletsgopic.twitter.com/NvjMMuZCDN

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) April 20, 2025

The other guys I do not have as much faith in. Gus Varland was solid in 2024, but had an injury riddled season last year. Lovelady gets ground balls, but has mostly struggled at the MLB level. George Soriano has good stuff, but had a brutal 2025. Maybe one of these guys can find a new level with the Nats. Regardless, there are a lot of options in the bullpen, but none of them are proven.

Other Competitions to Watch:

These three camp battles are the ones I am most fascinated about, but there are more. The rotation has a lot of uncertainty as well. There have been rumblings that the Nats could sign another starter, but that has not happened yet.

Right now, Cade Cavalli, Foster Griffin, Jake Irvin, Brad Lord and Josiah Gray seem fairly likely to be the starting five. However, Mitchell Parker and Andrew Alvarez will also be in the mix. Luis Perales could even get a shot if he has a phenomenal spring.

There will also be a competition for the bench spot on the infield. Nasim Nunez is the favorite to win that battle. However, Jose Tena and Orelvis Martinez will also be vying for that spot. 

This Nats team is so unsettled, and I don’t necessarily think that is a bad thing. Paul Toboni is treating this like an evaluation year. Spring Training will be the first data point in that evaluation. I think there are going to be a lot of roster moves throughout the season and a lot of these players will be getting chances. If guys aren’t performing, they will be at risk of being replaced.

With the signing of Eugenio Suarez, the roster of the Cincinnati Reds seems just about wrapped up with spring training in Goodyear, Arizona looming just over one week away. There may still be a utility glove added, there could be a reliever tucked into the back of the roster somehow, but the bulk of what we expect to see in the dugout and on the field in 2026 seems as if it’s already now in-house.

The question now, though, is what’s left to shake out once they get there?

What spot on the roster is the most up-for-grabs at the moment? Is it the pecking order of left-handed bats in the outfield now that Gavin Lux has been dealt away, with former 1st round draftees Will Benson and JJ Bleday vying for who gets regular PA in LF? Is it whether one of Michael Chavis or Garrett Hampson can wiggle their way onto the active roster come Opening Day?

Or, is it the battle for the fifth starter role? With talented options (and high draftees) in Chase Burns, Rhett Lowder, and Brandon Williamson, the club has ample options, but how they manage them both at the end of March and the end of September will be of equal importance.

The 26-man seems to be just about cobbled together, but how it stacks up still remains to be seen. What say you about what’s left to be decided?

Diamondbacks News

Diamondbacks Sign Carlos Santana
The deal is a 1-yr/$2 million pact for the switch-hitting veteran to platoon with Pavin Smith at first base. Meh.

Zac Gallen on a Potential Return to Arizona
With pitchers and catchers reporting in less than a week, Zac Gallen still remains unsigned.

Jim Bowden Rips Arizona
Hanging Arizona with a grade of D+ for the offseason pretty much sums things up succinctly, but there are reasonings for those interested.

Prospects Who Could Break Out in 2026
The calls to see Ryan Waldschmidt are only going to increase until he makes his debut, even though he is likely most of a season away from being ready. Tommy Troy needs to make some noise. Kohl Drake may be the best pitching prospect they have had in some time.

Other Baseball News

The Relationship Between Framing and Blocking
No two ways about it, catching is incredibly complicated.

Kiley McDaniel’s Top-30 Prospects for Each Team
“The D-backs ranked 21st in the farm ranking largely because they didn’t have any players in the top 50 prospects in baseball and only one in the top 100 at all.”

Tarik Skubal and Tigers Head to Arbitration Hearing Today
Arbitration history is almost certain to be made today.

Hall of Fame Reveals Cap Picks for Incoming Beltrán, Jones, Kent
The caps will be the Mets, Braves, and Giants respectively.

Shohei Ohtani signed the largest contract in baseball history at the time in December 2023, and in his first two years in Los Angeles has won two championships, won two MVP awards, and set two Dodgers single-season home run records.

Ohtani’s 54 home runs in 2024 were five more than Shawn Green’s previous franchise mark set 22 years prior. Then in 2025, Ohtani added one more to his total, to date the only player in MLB history to hit exactly 55 home runs in a season.

That brings us to another Dodgers record that is well within reach for Ohtani in 2026.

Most home runs in a 3-year span, Dodgers

• Duke Snider (1954-56) 125
• Duke Snider (1955-57) 125
• Duke Snider (1953-55) 124
• Shawn Green (2000-02) 115
• Gary Sheffield (1999-2001) 113
• Cody Bellinger (2017-19) 111
• Shawn Green (2001-03) 110
• Shohei Ohtani (2024-25) 109

Only four Dodgers — covering seven total spans — have hit more home runs in a three-year span than Ohtani hit in his first two seasons.

He’s already 31st in Dodgers history with his 109 home runs, and he’s only played two years for them.

Ohtani needs only 17 home runs in 2026 to set a Dodgers records for most homers in a three-year span. If he has another year anywhere close to his last two seasons, more rarefied air is in play.

Six Dodgers have three or more consecutive seasons of 30 or more home runs: Gil Hodges five years (1950-54), Duke Snider five years (1953-57), Mike Piazza (1995-97), Eric Karros (1995-97), Raúl Mondesi (1997-99), and Gary Sheffield (1999-2001).

Snider, who hit at least 40 home runs in five straight years from 1953-57, is the only Dodger with more than two seasons of 40 home runs.

Ohtani hit 46, 34, and 44 home runs in his final three years with the Angels, giving him 233 home runs over the last five seasons, an average of just shy of 47 per year. His projections for this season are in that same area:

• ZiPS: 52 home runs
• OOPSY: 50 HR
• THE BAT: 47 HR
• Marcel: 44 HR
• Steamer: 44 HR

Today’s question is how many home runs with Shohei Ohtani hit in 2026?

The Royals announced they have signed infielder Brandon Drury to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. Drury did not appear in the big leagues last year, but hit 26 home runs in 2023 and was a Silver Slugger winner in 2022.

Drury was drafted by the Braves in 2010, when Royals scouting director Brian Bridges was a scout with the club. He was traded to the Diamondbacks in the Justin Upton deal and made his debut with Arizona in 2015. He bounced around to the Yankees, Blue Jays, and Mets before having a breakout season in 2022 with the Reds. He hit .263/.320/.492 with 28 home runs, earning a Silver Slugger Award.

Drury signed a two-year, $17 million deal with the Angels and hit 26 home runs in his first season with them. But he fell off drastically in 2024, hitting just .169 with four home runs in 97 games. He joined the White Sox organization last year, but he was released in the summer without appearing for the big league team, and he spent the rest of the season in the Angels organization.

The 33-year-old Oregon native is a right-handed bat that can play first, second, or third base, and has some experience in the outfield.

Drury will compete for a reserve infield role with Michael Massey, Nick Loftin, and Tyler Tolbert, and other MLB veteran non-roster invitees, Connor Kasier, Kevin Newman, Josh Rojas, and Abraham Toro.

Happy Wednesday A’s Fans.

The 2026 season will be year two of the Athletics planned three-year Sacramento sojourn while the organization waits for construction to finish on its new ballpark in Las Vegas.

For some fans, one of the highlights of going to a baseball game is the giveaway item they get whether it is a bobblehead, hat or something else. Yesterday, the A’s announced their 2026 promotional calendar full of goodies the team will be giving fans at Sutter Health Park this season. The release is part of the team’s push to get fans to buy tickets as single-game tickets go on sale today.

The giveaways start immediately. Fans attending the A’s home opener against the Houston Astros on April 3rd will take home a magnet schedule and then get to watch postgame fireworks. The team is giving out Sacramento gold jerseys and then gloves for the latter two games of that series.

A’s fans who love to collect bobbleheads will be in for a treat this spring and summer. Those who attend the April 17 game against the White Sox will receive a Nick Kurtz bobblehead. The fact that the reigning American League Rookie of the Year is getting a bobblehead so early in his career reflects the impact Kurtz has already had on this franchise. 

If you want a bobblehead, but miss out on obtaining Kurtz, no need to fret. Jacob Wilson’s bobblehead day is June 20, Shea Langeliers’ is Aug. 15 and Mark Kotsay’s bobblehead is the scheduled giveaway on Aug. 28.

A couple other cool giveaways this year are the always popular Star Wars Grogu (March 12) and the buildable Tower Bridge (Aug 2). Based on the Bridge and Sacramento jersey, it appears that as far as giveaways are concerned, the A’s seem to be embracing playing in the state capital a bit more this year.

Let’s hope the team lives up to its potential to attract fans regardless of the giveaways! 

A’s Coverage:

• Athletics Sign Jacob Wilson to Extension
• Athletics Community Prospect List: Colome Takes Seventh Spot
• Extensions For Everyone! (Except Kurtz)
• Wilson extension signals shift for A’s ahead of Vegas move
• Managers & Top Front Office Executives On Expiring Contracts
• De Vries (No. 4 overall) leads Athletics trio on Top 100 Prospects list
• A’s Spring Training Report Date, and everything you need to know
• After monster stats as rookie, Nick Kurtz has a new number in mind: 162
• Projecting Nick Kurtz after Rookie of the Year campaign
• Analysts say this A’s outfielder could follow Pete Crow-Armstrong’s breakout path
• A’s Odds of Reaching the Postseason this year
• A’s prospect Mason Barnett has an atypical arm angle and an old school approach
• Blogfather Sabatoges Own Wins Over Replacement Hip (And A’s Stuff)

MLB News and Interest:

• Hall of Fame reveals cap picks for incoming Beltrán, Jones, Kent
• Carlos Santana reportedly signs with the Diamondbacks
• Luis Arraez, Giants Reportedly Agree to Contract in MLB Free Agency
• Shohei Ohtani Won’t Pitch at 2026 World Baseball Classic
• NBA, MLB, NHL, WWE, Major Sports Leagues to Join NFL in Wearing ‘USA 250’ Uniform Patches
• Red Sox Trade Jordan Hicks to White Sox
• Why Francisco Lindor, Jose Altuve, More MLB Players Can’t Play in 2026 World Baseball Classic
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

A’s 2026 promotions released. Which one is your favorite?

Jerseys, hats, bobbleheads, oh my!

Call dibs on your favorite giveaways for this season… single-game tickets go on sale tomorrow 🫣 pic.twitter.com/1OcHQHlbsa

— Athletics (@Athletics) February 3, 2026

Former A’s pitcher and current television broadcaster Dallas Braden shared his take on the A’s latest extensions on his podcast.

Jacob Wilson ✅
Tyler Soderstrom ✅
Lawrence Butler ✅
Brent Rooker ✅

The A’s are locking up their offensive core. pic.twitter.com/lD9buWbp5w

— Baseball Is Dead (@baseballisdead_) February 3, 2026

Should the A’s bring back Ken Waldichuk?

Following in Osvaldo Bido's footsteps, former A's LHP Ken Waldichuk has been designated for assignment for the third time in the last month and a half, this time by the Rays.

— Bill Moriarity – A's Farm (@AthleticsFarm) February 3, 2026

After a disappointing 2025, Orioles GM Mike Elias certainly has not been sitting around doing nothing this offseason, hoping that the problems will solve themselves with much of the same core of the roster returning. He’s gone out and made three big moves that to me were unthinkable when I sat around four months ago and considered what was possible. Signing Pete Alonso, trading for Shane Baz, and trading Grayson Rodriguez are all moves that in their own way show that Elias was not content to just let it ride another year without changes.

The big moves on the roster aren’t the only things going on, either. There are coming changes that have nothing to do with the players at all. Given how hard the offense flopped last year, it’s a relief to know there is going to be a new set of hitting coaches. Oriole Park at Camden Yards is getting long-needed upgrades to its audio and visual capabilities. And, you know, if they haven’t beaten the optimism out of you, you can try to feel good about things like “maybe Gunnar Henderson and Colton Cowser will be healed of the secret injuries they said plagued them for a lot of 2025.”

What’s got you excited about the coming Orioles season? Be honest, I know there’s something. Even a jaded pessimist like me is ready to see the Polar Bear hit some big ol’ dingers. Drop into the comments and tell us what you’re looking forward to from this year.

A closing plea: If you’re going to post about what you’re worried about with the Orioles and the coming season, save that for tomorrow.